I've heard that line a lot in life. "You're mumbling, I can't understand you." "What was that?" "Can you repeat yourself please?" I am a mumbler. It's not always and it is mostly around people I am comfortable with. I've been on stage, I've given presentations, I've lead meetings, all without a problem. But if I'm on the couch next to you, I might as well be 100 miles away. As I said, it's not always. So when I do mumble, it tends to irritate those closest to me. And it can be irritating to have that told to you often. But beware if you try to tell a non-mumbler that they are mumbling. They will vehemently disagree and tell you to clean your ears. I have been told that more than once in my life and by much more than one person. I do appreciate them sticking with me though and I try to correct myself when I know I'm doing it. And since my mumbles have kicked into high gear lately, I thought I would dedicate a post to the opposite. So today, we will be speaking clearly. I enjoy the second quote for how it can be transferred to a speaker.
“Speak clearly, if you speak at all; carve every word before you let it fall.” - Oliver Wendell Holmes
“Those who write clearly have readers, those who write obscurely have commentators.” - Albert Camus
Do you speak clearly or are you a mumbler? Or perhaps I should ask, do you have readers or commentators?
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